The smithy is not an unusual subject in Wright's work, and there are several examples from the 1770s. This picture is based on a very precise pen drawing in the City Art Gallery in Derby. The depiction of a man working in a smithy at night provided the artist with a chance to show different lighting effects. The way in which the red glow is set against the pale gleam of the moon, the contrasts of light and shade, give an ordinary scene a romantic nuance.